Collapsible soap-dish



P. H. WELC KER.

COLLAPSIBLE SOAP DISH.

APPLICATION FILED MAY3 1920 Patented Sept. 14, 1920.

Zia 002371 UNITED s'rAresra'rsnr OFFICE.

rAUL H. WELCKER, or ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA, AssIsNo'aro BROWN & BIGELOW, or ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA, A CORPORATION or MINNESOTA, j I

coLLArsIBLE soAr-msn".

Specification of Letters Patent. Patenfed S t 1920;

Application filed May 3, 1920. 'Seria1-No. 378,429.

citizen of the United States, residing at St.

Paul, in the county of Ramsey and State of Minnesota, have invented a new and useful Improvement in CollapsibleSoap-Dishes, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in collapsible soap dishes, the primary object of which is to provide a soap dish which will readily support a bar of soap when set up,

. or the entire'tray of which can be easily removed at any time for cleansing or other purposes without destroying the supporting parts of the holder. It is desirable to have a holder of a simple, inexpensive construction, which can be readily stamped from sheet material to form a neat appearing device without riveting or otherwise attaching the soap tray portion of the holder and without departing from the neat appearance of the same.

The soap dish is formed from two pieces of material .and is designed so that it can be readily collapsed to be packed in a small space. This allows the holder to be readily sent through the mail or otherwise shipped, either singly or in quantities. Vhen the soap dish is set up for use it is adapted to form a rigid, substantial support for a bar of soap, the tray of which is readily. removable from the supporting back for cleansing or other purposes.

The peculiar construction and arrangement of parts will be clearly and more definitely set forth in the specification and claims. p

In the drawings forming part of this specification:

Figure 1 collapsible dish set up ready for use.

Fig. Qis a reduced end view of the same;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the back of the soap dish.

Fig. 1 is a view of the soap dish in collapsed position.

In the drawings, the soap dish A is formed of two pieces of material, one forming a supporting back B, while the other piece forms the soap tray C. The parts B and C are formed by stamping into the desired shape pieces of flat metal. 7

The back B of the soap dish A is formed with a marginal reinforcing rib 10 and open: ings 11 for engaging hooks or nails so as to is a perspective view of the attach the back to a wall when it is desired. Engaging tongues 12 are formedin the back B projecting from the same, while supporting brackets 13 are cut from the body of the back B and are bent to extend at an angle from the same. Reinforcing ribs'14 are formed in the brackets 13.

The soap dish or tray G is formed with a soap receiving recess 15, having a central drain opening 16, while the lower surface thereof is scored along the lines 17 to form creases diverging toward the opening 16 from the'corners of the tray C. The forward side and ends of the tray Care formed with a rolled edge 18, which forms afsmooth surface for the tray and also reinforcesthe same. The rear side of the tray C is formed with an upwardly projecting iiange or wall- 19, which is formed with a marginal reinforcing rib 20 to stiffen and strengthen the same, and the upper edge 21 of the flange 19 is adapted to engage beneath the engag' ing tongues 12 when the tray C is attached to the back B of the soap dish. r I lVhen the back B of the soap dish is stamped with a die from a single piece of material, the brackets 13 extend at an acute angle from the body of the back B. This allows theback B and thetray C to be packed ornested together, as"illustrated in Fig. 1, with the brackets 18 extending into the recess 15 of the soap tray, thus allowing the s ap dish to be collapsed into a small,

Thus when the back 19 is engaged beneath v the tongues 12' and the, tray rests on the brackets 13, the soap dish is set up with-the tray C rigidly supported to the back B so that the tray C will support a considerable weight, even when the parts B and C of the soap dish are formed from comparatively thin material. By engaging the outer, forward, longitudinal edge of the tray C, the same can be lifted upward and the edge 21 disengaged from the tongues 12. In this manner the tray C can be readily disengaged from the supporting back B so that in the brackets 13 also materially stiffen and strengthen the same. This is also true of the reinforcing rib 20 for the tray C. The collapsible soap dish formed of two pieces of sheet material makes a simple and very practical soap holding means, while the collapsible feature is of great importance, owing to the fact that it can be collapsed into a compact state and at any time readily set up by anyone purchasing or receiving the soap dish. It is always desirable to have a soap dish which can be readily cleansed, as soap suds and other undesirable residue is bound to adhere and collect in the tray C. This feature, in connection with the fact that the soap dish is made from two parts, eliminates the necessity of trying to clean several parts while the soap dish is fastened on the wall. On the other hand, the soap tray of this device can be readily removed at any time and thoroughly cleansed and then again replaced ready for use.

In accordance with the patent statutes I have described the principles of operation of my invention, together with the appara tus which I now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof, but I desire to have it understood that the construction shown is only illustrative and that the invention can be carried out by other means and applied to uses other than those above set forth within the scope of the following claims:

1. A collapsible soap dish, including a supporting back, a detachable soap tray, flange and tongue means above said tray adapted to hold the same to said back and supports cut from said back adapted to support said tray from below.

2. A collapsible soap dish, including a supporting back, a soap tray, a holding flange formed along .the rear edge of said tray, and engaging tongues and supporting brackets formed integral with and sheared out of said back, adapted to engage said flange and tray respectively, to hold said tray rigid to and detachable from said back. 8. A collapsible soap dish, comprising two parts formed of sheet material, one of said pressure, said tongues holding said tray in contact with said brackets.

4:. A collapsible vsoap dish, comprising a back formed of thin, sheet material, a soap tray formed of thin, sheet material, having a reinforced edge extending about three sides of the same, an upwardly projecting supporting flange projecting from said tray,

a reinforcing rib formed in said flange, flange engaging tongues formed on said back adapted to engage said tray supporting flange, tray supporting brackets formed integral with and projecting from said back and reinforcing ribs formed in said supporting brackets.

5. A collapsible soap tray formed from two plates of sheet material, one of said plates forming a supporting back, the other of said plates forming a soap supporting tray, means formed integral from the plate forming the back for engaging and supporting the partforming said soap tray to hold the plate forming the soap tray extending at approximately right angles to the plate forming the supporting back, said supporting means on the plate forming said back extending at an angle from the plate when thesame is formed to allow the parts to be nested together to be collapsed into a compact state.

6. In a collapsible soap dish, including a supporting back formedrof a piece of thin, sheet material, a peripheral reinforcing rib formed in said back, a soap tray formed from a piece of sheet material, an upwardly supportingflange formed on said tray, a marginal reinforcing rib formed in said flange, tongues formed integral with and projecting from said back adapted to engage said tray flange and brackets formed integral with said back and adapted to be bent perpendicular thereto to engage the lower edge of said soap tray when said soap tray flange is engaged by said engaging tongues formed on said supporting back to detachably and collapsibly hold the tray of said soap dish to said supporting back.

PAUL H. WELCKER. 

